One-pot asparagus and tomato orecchiette pasta with wild garlic is the perfect spring recipe to take advantage of new season ingredients.
This delicious soupy pasta dish is wonderfully easy to cook and will go from your cupboard to your table in around 45 minutes.
Orecchiette with Tomatoes and Asparagus
This soup/stew perfectly combines old-season store cupboard favourites like Orecchiette pasta and tomato passata with really exciting new season produce.
It is packed full of flavours that really do work well together, and the pasta makes it hearty enough to feel like a full meal!
Wild garlic adds a delicious "zing" as well as a garlic flavour.
Anchovies give the tomato base a really meaty note, and the asparagus stands out as the star of the recipe.
I use both anchovies in the same way in my bacon and asparagus pasta recipe.
Do not throw out those asparagus stems, though, because you can use them to make my cream of asparagus soup!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is wild garlic, and what does it taste like?
Wild Garlic is also known as ramsons or broadleaf garlic, and it is native across huge swathes of Europe and can be foraged in many places.
It was a free ingredient for me when I lived in Hungary, and I am delighted to have found it free to pick in the UK, too.
Of course, it tastes like garlic, but it is mellower, sweeter and has a "greener" taste than bulb garlic.
Aside from this recipe, one of my favourite uses for it is to make a wild garlic pesto!
When is wild garlic in season?
In the UK, garlic is in season from early-mid March through to the end of April. Sometimes even as late as June.
Can I use anything other than wild garlic?
If you can not get any, then you can replace it in this recipe with roasted garlic. You can find instructions for roasting garlic in this roasted garlic pasta recipe.
Can I make this Vegan or Vegetarian?
The easiest way to make this recipe vegetarian is to omit the anchovies.
However, they add a savoury sense of meatiness that would be good to replace. You can do this by adding chopped olives towards the end.
If you want to get more exotic, you can add umeboshi, which are umami-packed Japanese plums.
Naturally, if you want to turn this dish vegan, you need to use egg-free pasta!
Serving Suggestions
This tomato and asparagus pasta dish is very much like a stew or a soup, and just like all good bowls of soup or stew, a nice bit of bread goes down a storm here.
If I'm baking bread, I would probably add some soda bread, mainly because it is super easy to make... and I don't like baking!
In terms of store-bought bread, I would likely go for a wedge of ciabatta or a couple of slices of focaccia.
However, my wife loves garlic bread (who doesn't), which means that is how I usually serve this recipe.
Equipment Used
I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 28cm or 11" deep-sided frying pan with a lid.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug and or measuring cups and spoons.
One Pot Asparagus and Tomato Orecchiette Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Anchovy Fillets
- 1 Small Onion 100g
- 500 ml Vegetable stock 2 Cups
- 75 ml White Wine ⅓ Cup
- 200 ml Tomato Passata ¾ Cup + 2 tablespoon
- 100 g Orecchiette Pasta 1-1¼ Cups
- 100 g Asparagus Spears ½ Cup
- 2 Handfuls Wild Garlic
- ¼-½ teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Cut the onion in half, peel it and then cut it into a 2-3mm (⅛") dice.
- Slice the wild garlic leaves into 1cm (½") strips and chop the stems as finely as you can. Keep the leaves and stems separate.
- Prepare the asparagus by snapping off the woody section and discarding. Cut the remaining asparagus into 1cm (½") sections, leaving the tips a little longer.
- Heat the olive oil in a 28cm or 11" deep frying pan over a low/medium heat. Add the anchovy fillets, onion and wild garlic stems, then cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Add in the wine, vegetable stock, passata and the salt and pepper, make sure you taste to get the salt right. Then cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the pasta, return the lid, turn the heat up to medium and cook for 2 minutes less than it says on the packet.
- Have a taste of the pasta here; it should be undercooked, but it should have 2-3 minutes left until it is perfect. Stir in the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes uncovered.
- Check the pasta is cooked to your liking, then stir in the wild garlic leaves, cooking them for no more than 30 seconds.
Melve
Friday 8th of February 2019
Thank you for sharing this. I had an asparagus and pasta, and no idea what to make, so this was a lifesaver!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt
Friday 8th of February 2019
Ohhhhh! This really looks delicious! I never thought of using asparagus in soup like this. The flavors are perfect.
Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours
Friday 8th of February 2019
I bet those anchovies make it taste amazing and pack a full on umani punch - so delicious.
Brian Jones
Wednesday 28th of March 2018
You are welcome
Brian Jones
Wednesday 28th of March 2018
Thanks Julie... Asparagus was always an indulgence for me, until I started growing it and now use it much more freely and it is wonderful.